Bowditch wins Jacob's Creek Open

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The future of Australian golf looks bright, with Queensland
youngster Steven Bowditch today confirming his enormous potential
with victory in the Jacob's Creek Open at Royal Adelaide.

The 21-year-old, who led the tournament after every round,
displayed the temperament to match his talent, shooting a
one-under-par final round of 71, to turn a three-shot lead at the
start of the day into a five-shot victory.

New South Welshman Nathan Green and American Ryan Armour tied
for second on six-under-par, with Australians Greg Chalmers and
Craig Jones a further shot back on five-under.

It was Bowditch's first win on the Australasian PGA Tour, and
with the event co-sanctioned by the US second-tier Nationwide Tour,
is likely to open a path for him to burst onto the main US PGA Tour
next year.

Today's victory was no flash-in-the-pan for Bowditch, continuing
strong form he showed by winning the Queensland Open, on the Von
Nida Tour, in November, followed by a third placing in November's
Australian Open and a fourth in December's Australian Masters, in
just his third year as a professional.

Bowditch's big leaderboard buffer did not prompt him to temper
his attacking style of golf today and his aggressive approach paid
off early.

He drove just short of the greens on the par-four second and
eighth holes, setting up birdies on both, then picked up another
shot on the par-five ninth to move to 13-under.

Armour, who charged into second spot with five birdies in his
first eight holes to move from three-under at the start of the day
to eight-under-par, then double-bogeyed the 12th to fall back to
six-under, leaving Bowditch seven shots clear at the turn.

Bowditch caused himself a few heart-flutters on the back nine
when he bogeyed the 10th and the 12th holes to fall back to 11
under.

He then struck major trouble off the tee on the 13th, hitting
his drive way left, over a ridge and into a grove of trees.

He took two more shots to get his ball back onto the fairway,
but then chipped onto the green and sunk a testing three-metre
birdie putt to escape with bogey.

With Armour having birdied the 15th, his lead was still reduced
to three shots.

But he settled with pars on the 14th and 15th, then struck a
beautiful tee shot on the par-three 16th to set him up for another
birdie, before he parred the 17th.

With Armour having bogeyed the 16th, it allowed Bowditch the
luxury of a five-shot buffer playing the final hole, which he
parred to seal his win.